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The Editor does not necessarily identify himself with the opinions of contributors to "The Welsh Outlook" Editorial responsibility is limited to the views expressed in the Notes of the Month." NOTES OF THE MONTH Brilliant On the Western Front Marshal Foch having Results regained the initiative is determined not on the to lose it, and by a series of brilliant thrusts Western he has prevented the enemy from re- Front organising his forces for another offensive. The German Commander-in-Chief has been compelled not only to act on the defensive, but to retire from certain sectors which he felt were no longer secure. Successive blows have been struck between Soissons and Arras, which have given us back many of the ruined towns and villages in this devastated area. The Allied armies are threatening Noyon, Peronne and Bapaume. They are closing in on the old positions which we know as the Hindenburg line, and it is now a question whether the German Army will be able to stay the victorious advance of our troops without having recourse to a further retire- ment to some positions east of the Hindenburg line which they may have fortified. The Allied Generals, both French and British, have profited from the experiences of the last four years. We have only to contrast the brilliant results of the fighting during the last few weeks with the opera- tions on the Somme in 1916. No doubt there are other factors which must be taken into account. The tanks have at last come by their own, and have had a demoralising effect upon the enemy's infantry. The co-operation of the aeroplanes and the tanks, advocated by some people more than eighteen months ago, has already opened out new possibilities for any army which assumes the offensive. The Germans relied on their anti-tank batteries for the destruction of these land-ships, but the skilful employment of aeroplanes for bombing these batteries, and thus enabling the tanks to advance in front of our infantry has, once more, upset the enemy calculations, SEPTEMBER, 1918. The Unity In his defensive tactics the enemy has en- of the deavoured to copy the plan so successfully Allied carried out by General Gouraud in Cham- Command pagne. The forward system of trenches are manned only with machine-guns, and are lightly held. The real line of resistance is some miles in the rear, carefully camouflaged, and beyond the range of the field gun barrage at the opening of the attack. The line of out-posts are under orders to retire gradually on the main line of resistance, and the attacking troops, already weakened by the machine-gun fire, suddenly find them- selves up against uncut wire, trenches carefully hidden and strongly manned, and without the protection of their barrage. The Allied Generals simply declined to fall into the trap which had been prepared for them. They limited the objectives of their initial advance to the capture of the system of out-posts. When the infantry arrived at the enemy's real line of resistance, they were under orders to halt and consolidate, and to await the bringing up of the artillery, before attempting any further advance. By adopting these tactics, we have avoided unnecessary casualties, and refused to play into the enemy's hands. General Mangin's success was due to the skilful way in which he planned and executed his attack on these lines. The unity of the Allied command, which the Welsh Outlook has always advocated, is now bearing fruit with a vengeance If this organisation had been made effective twelve, or even six months sooner, there is no doubt that thousands of valuable lives would have been saved, and victory would have been achieved in a shorter space of time. We sincerely hope that the Allies will utilise and develop this unification of the Allied forces both during and after the War. In it is to be found the beginnings of an inter-